Aerial torpedo



H. CENTERVALL.

. AERIAL TORPEDO.

, APPLICATION FILED JULY-27, 1916.

,38899321 Patented Aug. 3), 192i.

2 SHEES-SHEET I.

Fig. 4-

(q1/wanton H. CENTERVALL AERIAL TORPEDO. APPucATmN FILED JULY 27,1916.

1,388,932, PatentedAug. 30, 192L 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

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@In amilili rai-ENT OFFICE.

HUGO'CENTERVALL, O BRQOXLYN, NE'W YORK.

AERIAL TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug 192.1`

Application nled July 27, 1916. Serial No. 111,592.

To all whom. z't may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO CENTERVALL, a citizen of Sweden, and a resident ofthe borough of Brookl county of Kings, city and State of New ork, have invented new and useful Improvements in. Aerial Torpedoes, of which the following is a speciica' tion.

This invention relates to aerial'torpedoes of the character designed to be dropped from moving air craft upon hostile ships or fortifications below.

My improved torpedo is designed more particularl for attacks upon vessels at s ea, and the object of my invention is to provide atorpedo of this character which will be automatically guided toward the vessel to be struck upon being released from the air craft even though the aviator has not correctly determined the factors of momentum and air resistance which ordinarily determine the trajectory of a projectile. j

In the embodiment of my invention which I have selected for illustration I have de'- signed the torpedo to be released when vertically above the vessel to be struck and provided it with automatic rudder control for altering the course of the torpedo as it descends, to compensate for its deviation from the verticalV produced by its momentum, air resistance or from any other cause. In effecting the automatic control of the rudder I .make use of the electrical properties of selenium by focusing on a suitable selenium cell or cells an image ofthe vessel .surround-I ed by a field of water wherebyy the resistance of the selenium cell or cells will be altered in proportion to the part of the total field which is occupied by the vessel. Thus, if the position and direction ofthe projecting range-finder of the torpedo is such that a portion only of the vessel is in the field focusedl on the cell or cells, the resistance will be different fromV the resistance when the .entire vessel is within the limits of the ield. 4I utilize thisV variation' in electrical resistance to' adjust the rudder of the torpedo so as to alter the course of the torpedo.

1n a direction to bring the. entire vessel within the field exposed to the cell or cells. In

order to accurately guide the torpedo I pref erably use a plurality of selenium cells with their circuits balanced one against the other in such manner that the. rudder control will be active whenever there is a-variance inthe `-the altitude usually B this arrangement the guiding means will b given correctrve adjustment whenever a deviation from its course toward the center of the vessel occurs. That is,"in order for the rudder to be maintained at normal, equal portions of the-fields of each two opposite cells must be occupied by the image ofthe vessel.

In the accompanying drawings,"wherein I have disclosed my improved torpedo,

Figure 1 is 'a Vertical section through the torpedo showing the general arrangement of the parts; l

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the arts of the rudder controlling mechanism s owin the electricalconections; and' lgs. 3, 4 and 5 are`detail views on enlarged scales of in Fig 1. I Re erring to the drawings, l indicates the shell or container for the explosive 2, the shell belng of any preferredconguration and. having for maintaining it in vertical position during its downward course. The torpedo will be provided with suitable detonating apparatus for fring the charge which may be operated either upon contact with the object struck or in an other suitable manner. This feature of t e torpedo forms no ypart of my invention and is therefore not shown.

The torpedo is provided with a central longitudinal bore or cylindrical chamber i extendin throughout the length of the torpedo an communicating at the upper or rear end with a compartment 5 in which the stem 6 of the iding rudder 7 projects. The guiding ru der is here shown as a 4- vaned rudder mounted for universal adjustnient by means of a suitable ball and socket joint. Supported in the end of the bore 4 at the front or lower end of the torpedo is a sighting telescope 8 mounted for universal adjustment relatively to the center line of the torpedo by means of a suitable joint 9 (see Fig. 3). Thetelescope is provided with suitable optical elements, which I have indicated diagrammatically, to project an image of the surface below the torpedo on to a suitable screen 10 at the rear end of the telescope when the air craft is flying at selected for making attacks, about six t ousand to ten thousand feet. To adapt the telescope to diiferent parts of the torpedo shownl the usual lon 'tudinal vanes 3 elevations the lobjective lens 11 is vertically adjustable in the telescope tube by means of an adjusting screw 12 extending parallel with the tube along one side thereof.

The/screen which is shown in Fig. 2, is divided into four quadrants, the area of each of which is occupied by the selenium sur- :face of a suitable resistance cell arranged so that the' resistance of each cell will be varied by the intensity of the light projected on that portion of the screen. The four selenium' cells which I have marked a, b, c and d, respectively, are each connected in a separate circuit containing a cell and a solenoid, the solenoids being indicated in Fig. 2 by letters a', b', c and d', corresponding with the similarly indicated cells. The circuits are all energized from a suitable Stora e battery 13 carried in the longitudinal c amber of the torpedo.

The four solenoids an', b', c and cl are ixedly attached tothe wall of the chamber 4 in the space abovethe telescope with their axes extending radially. The solenoids are arranged in pairs, the solenoids a and c bey ing opposite and the solenoids b and d being above and at'right angles to the other ones. Each solenoid is provided with a core operatively connected to an arm 14 forming a longitudinal extension of the telescope. Each pair of opposite solenoid cores are rigidly connected together by an intermediate yoke embracing the arm 14, the arrangement being such that each pair of solenoids will effect a movement of the arm in the direction of their axes without interfering with the movement of the arm at right angles thereto as effected by the other pair of solenoids. The angular position of the telescope in the chamber 4 will be determined by the relative strength ofthe solenoids as infiuenced by the selenium resistance in each circuit.I

The armv 14 projects beyond the group of solenoids and .carries on its end a contact piece 15 wiping against the under face of a circular rheostat 16 which is divided into quadrants'as indicated in Fig. 2, the electrical connection being such that each section of the rheostat offers its greatest resistance when the contact shoe is near the center of the under face of the quadrant, the resistance being reduced in proportion to the eX- tent of movement of the contact shoe toward the periphery of the rheostat. As the arm 14 is rigidly attached to the telescope it will be obvious that the position of the contact shoe will be determined by the angular position of thetelescope relatively to the axis of v the torpedo.

Each quadrant of the rheostat is connected in a separate circuit, eachcircuit containing 'a quadrant of the Vrheostat and a solenoid.

As shown in the diagrammatic view, Fig. 2, the quadrants of the rheostat are indicated iield on the selenium cells.

by letters e, f g and h and their respective solenoids by letters e', f', gf and h.

The solenoids of this second set are arranged in the compartment 5 adjacent the end of thefrudder arm 6, the solenoids being arranged in o posite airs similar'to the arran ement o the so enoids al, b, c and d. Eac solenoid is cores of the opposite solenoids being connected b an intermediate yoke 17 as indicated in ig. 4, thel two yokes embracing the stem 6 of t e rudder 7 whereby the position of the rudder will be determined by the relaby the respective quadrants Of the rheostat 16. L

The several rudder controlling solenoids vwill `be energized from a suitable storage .sign will now -be described. It will be assumed that the electric circuits are providedl with suitable switches whereby the circuits may be closed when the torpedo is to be dropped. The switch for the selenium cell circuit should preferably be a pole-changing switch so as to reverse the direction of {'low of current through the solenoids and consev quently reverse their direction of operation so that if the vessel to be attacked is brighter than the surrounding water field the circuit may be adjusted in one direction, whereas if the vessel is darker than the water field the direction of the circuit will be reversed. The air craft will preferably be provided with a range-finding telescope supported in double gimbal rings to maintain a vertical position and when the aircraft is vertically above the vessel to be attacked the torpedo will be released, the objective 11 of thetelescope of the torpedo having been previously adjusted to properly focus the image of its of release the image of the vessel to be attacked will lie substantially at the center of the screen 1() containing the 'four selenium cells, equal parts of the image of the vessel occupying the adjacent portions of the opposite cell. The lateral movement of the tor# pedo, due to its momentum acquired when traveling with the air craft, will-.cause the image of the vessel to move across the screen toward one side thereof thereby causing At the moment rovided with'a core, 'the f .tive strength of the solenoids as controlled I more of theiarea of at least one'cell to be occupied by the Aimage of the vessel than its opposite cell. The cell or cellsY upon which iso the Agreater-portion of theiimage of the ves-- sel 1s projected will have their resistance either increased or decreased, dependin on whether the vessel is'darker or lighter ihan its field, and the opposite cell or cells will have their resistance inversely altered to thereby correspondingly vary the strength of the o osite solenoids of each pair a, c and b, d. echange in the strength of solenoids will obviously produce an angular adjustment of the telescope 8 from its bal-V anced central position, thereby causing the contact shoe and the arm 14 of the telescope tobe shifted out of the center ofthe rheostat 16 in a direction to cut out the resistance in one or perhaps two of the quadrants of the rheostat, thereby upsetting the balance o the rudder-controlling solenoids and causing theV rudder to be tilted in a direction and to an extent corresponding with the movement of the telescope.

It will he understood that the pole-changing switch is so adjusted as to cause the angular movement of the telescope produced by the variations in resistance` of the selenium cells Ato cause the telescope to follow the vessel, that is, the movement of the telesco e.

. tends to bring the image of the vessel to t e center of the screen 10. The return of the image toward the center of the screen tends to equalize the resistance of the circuits through the selenium cells, but such equalizing of the circuits has the eiiect of tending to return the telescope to its central position, which movement, unless the change of direction of the torpedo as effected -by the rudder has brought the torpedo back to its 'inits downward path until its return to a position vertically over the vessel to beattacked. In such osition the telescope and rudder will .be alined with the aXis of the torpedo and will-guide the torpedo in a straight course to its target. Y

If the target be moving the telescope will obviously :follow its movement and continue to deflect the torpedo from its true downward path and cause it to strike thev vessel.

I have not attempted to show the structural details of various electrical elements making up my improved torpedo control, as

such details m'ay'obviously be varied within wide For instance, thev polechanger switch illustrated in Fig. 2 may be of any design capable of simultaneously reversing all four circuits and also affording a cut-out position. As shown, the switch g I comprises a rotating disk of ber with fourl angular contacts en its underface adapted` u on rotary adjustment of the disk to bridge t e gaplbetween the fixed segmental contacts which the wires of the `circuits are throu joine Instead of connecting the circuits through to the solenoids the selenium cells directly d l l may ut' ize oca controlling the telesco e,

circuits for the severa solenoids and controlsuch cncuits through sensitive relays operated through the selenium cells.

l) claim:

l. Inan aerial torpedo the combination of a guiding device, an image-form' drecting device adapted to be trained on the object to be attacked, and means controlled by said directing device for 'operating said device to. cause said device to gui e said torpedo back to the line of movement toward said object when deflected therefrom.

2. In an aerial torpedo the combination of a guiding device, a movably mounted imageforming directing device adapted .to be trained on the object to be attacked, and

means controlled by said directing device for operatin said guiding device to cause said guiding Idevice to guide said torpedo back to the line of movement toward said object when deected therefrom, said directing device comprising means for adjusting the device relatively to the torpedo'to maintain the sighting device trained on the object.

3. In an aerial tor edo thecombination'of a torpedo body, a gulding device therefor, an nuage-forming directing device comprising a screen sensitive to the rojected image of the object to be attacke and means controlled by the position of said image on the sald screen for operating said guiding device to maintain the torpedo on its prede- Y Y termined course. l

'4.111 an aerial torpedo, the combination of atorpedo body, a guiding device therefor, an image-forming directing device comprising a screen sensitive to the projected .image of the object to be attacked, means `controlled by the position of said imageon the said screen for operating said guidin devlce to maintain the torpedo on its pre etermined course, and means for adjusting the directing device during the approach `of the torpedo to the object to maintain the image of the' object focused on the screen.

5. In an aerial torpedo,.the combination of a torpedo body, a guiding device therefor,- an image-forming directing device having at the image-forming position a light sensitive electrical resistance element, and means 'for operating said guiding device controlled by the resistance of said element as varied by the movement of the image of the object to 13o be attacked to return said torpedo to the line ,of movement toward said object upon any departure therefrom.

6. In an aerial torpedo, the combination of a torpedo body, a guiding device therefor, an image-forming directing device havingat the image-forming position a light sensitive electrical resistance element, means for o erating said guiding device controlled by t e resistance of said element as varied by-the movement of the imagel of the object to be attacked Ato return said torpedo to the line of movement toward said object upon any departure therefrom, and means controlled by said varying resistance to adjust said di- 15 rectin devlce to maintain it pointed at the said o ject, and thereb maintain the image of the object on the a justing element.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 22nd 20 day of July, 1916.

HUGO CENTERVALL. 

